Google, Ford, and Uber just created a giant lobbying group for self-driving cars

[Kontinuum]

A who's-who of carmakers, technology companies, and ride-sharing startups are joining forces to pressure the federal government on the issue of self-driving cars. Ford, Google, Uber, Lyft, and Volvo announced Tuesday the formation of the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, a lobbying group with the express purpose of advocating autonomous driving. It's a power move by some of the most high-profile names behind the still nascent technology, made at a time when regulators and policymakers in Washington, DC are still wrapping their heads around the concept of self-driving cars.

The coalition will be headed up by David Strickland, a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). He will serve as the group's counsel and spokesperson. In essence, Strickland will be lobbying his former agency, which has been tasked by Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to come up with a set of rules for self-driving cars by early summer.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/26/11...ft-volvo-nhtsa

[Kretan]

Wow. This is great to read, and it is absolutely a step in the right direction. I am kind of surprised Tesla isn't in on this, but I doubt it really makes a difference with the list of companies that are involved.

[Arthas242]

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/26/11...ft-volvo-nhtsa

and so it has began!

the loss of 7 million transportation jobs by 2020!

and with all the other AI advances there is just not going to be enough jobs for the population soon lolz

[Kretan]

and so it has began!

the loss of 7 million transportation jobs by 2020!

and with all the other AI advances there is just not going to be enough jobs for the population soon lolz

I honestly think the truck driver problem is going to be a huge issue that has to be addressed here...So many jobs would be lost with self driving cars.

[Reeve]

Wow. This is great to read, and it is absolutely a step in the right direction. I am kind of surprised Tesla isn't in on this, but I doubt it really makes a difference with the list of companies that are involved.

I imagine Tesla is too busy pumping its money back into its business to want to spend the lobbying capital, especially when Google, Ford, and Uber will do it for them.

Though it's interesting to note that Uber and Tesla seem to have some sort of relationship.

[Kretan]

I imagine Tesla is too busy pumping its money back into its business to want to spend the lobbying capital, especially when Google, Ford, and Uber will do it for them.

Though it's interesting to note that Uber and Tesla seem to have some sort of relationship.

Yeah is their dollar really going to impact this discussion if these other companies are already throwing money at it? Probably the right way to look at this.

[Reeve]

I honestly think the truck driver problem is going to be a huge issue that has to be addressed here...So many jobs would be lost with self driving cars.

On the other hand, product transportation costs will go way down, which will be helpful in either reducing product pricing, or allowing companies to hire people for other functions with their savings.

Of course, just as likely at least in the short term is that company owners will just pocket the savings, but I imagine long term it'll normalize back into other jobs. The problem is that those other jobs aren't likely to be the sort of thing the former truck drivers can do, and probably not in the same quantities.

[melodramocracy]

and with all the other AI advances there is just not going to be enough jobs for the population soon lolz

Good. With all the extra profits being made, there will be no problems at all bolstering welfare expenditures.

[Reeve]

Yeah is their dollar really going to impact this discussion if these other companies are already throwing money at it? Probably the right way to look at this.

Yeah, it's easy to forget that Tesla is not yet a large wealthy company. It has a couple factories, and has spent massive amounts of capital on its Gigafactory, but they aren't sitting on a cash hoard like Google, nor a massive consistent revenue stream like Ford.

[Kretan]

On the other hand, product transportation costs will go way down, which will be helpful in either reducing product pricing, or allowing companies to hire people for other functions with their savings.

Of course, just as likely at least in the short term is that company owners will just pocket the savings, but I imagine long term it'll normalize back into other jobs. The problem is that those other jobs aren't likely to be the sort of thing the former truck drivers can do, and probably not in the same quantities.

I personally don't think companies are going to suddenly look to add professional drivers to their business unless it directly adds value...I struggle to think what job they could transition to that would both be available in the quantity needed to employ that huge number of displaced workers and still be economically viable only after drivers were made obsolete.

[Reeve]

I personally don't think companies are going to suddenly look to add professional drivers to their business unless it directly adds value...I struggle to think what job they could transition to that would both be available in the quantity needed to employ that huge number of displaced workers and still be economically viable only after drivers were made obsolete.

Yeah, no I don't think very many new jobs added would be employing the truck drivers that were displaced. More likely it would be new accountants or database admins, or things like that. Of course that'll be hiring one person in those roles for each 2-3 truck drivers that lose their jobs, and the truck drivers won't really have anywhere to go.

[Kretan]

Yeah, it's easy to forget that Tesla is not yet a large wealthy company. It has a couple factories, and has spent massive amounts of capital on its Gigafactory, but they aren't sitting on a cash hoard like Google, nor a massive consistent revenue stream like Ford.

Another way to view this.....would those companies be lobbying solely to advance the technology, or would they encourage rules that would harm Tesla's current strategy of implement in parts vs Google's "all in one go"? I could see a scenario where some of these companies involved start acting as a competitor to Tesla through this by implementing carefully worded "rules".

[Reeve]

Another way to view this.....would those companies be lobbying solely to advance the technology, or would they encourage rules that would harm Tesla's current strategy of implement in parts vs Google's "all in one go"? I could see a scenario where some of these companies involved start acting as a competitor to Tesla through this by implementing carefully worded "rules".

Yeah I mean the specific rules they come up with could, for example, make it so that with the hardware Tesla currently has installed, they couldn't use Autopilot anymore, for example. That's the sort of thing companies do to each other all the time.

I don't get the sense that Ford or Google would want to craft limiting legislation though. If anything, I imagine they'd want to open things up as much as possible so they don't close themselves off to some avenue of advancement in the future.

[Renchard]

and so it has began!

the loss of 7 million transportation jobs by 2020!

and with all the other AI advances there is just not going to be enough jobs for the population soon lolz

The job loss is something that definitely needs to be addressed, but the human suffering that would be alleviated by self-driving cars is too tremendous to not move forward with it. Seriously, 30,000+ people get killed every years by car accidents. The fact that we NEED our cars makes us forget just how f***ed up that is.

[Independent voter]

Teamsters Union is probably on the other side of the issue, I don't know who else, would like to know.

I don't know if the opposition has enough power to raise much of a defense. Unions are pretty weak these days.

[unbound]

and so it has began!

the loss of 7 million transportation jobs by 2020!

and with all the other AI advances there is just not going to be enough jobs for the population soon lolz

Well, not all of them go away. Most of the truck drivers and taxis are probably affected, but that is only about 1/2 of the 7 million...there are plenty of other jobs associated with the transportation industry.

Those jobs also include things like chauffeur's (some may go away, but not all as the rich don't like handling their luggage), dispatchers, engineers, fleet administrators, helicopter pilots, import / export, inventory, logistics, inspectors, materials handlers (some will go away, but not everything can be handled by robots yet), packaging, production, railroad, scheduler / shipping, bus drivers (most will not go away since you have to manage people and kids), traffic, and warehouse managers.

[Reeve]

Well, not all of them go away. Most of the truck drivers and taxis are probably affected, but that is only about 1/2 of the 7 million...there are plenty of other jobs associated with the transportation industry.

Those jobs also include things like chauffeur's (some may go away, but not all as the rich don't like handling their luggage), dispatchers, engineers, fleet administrators, helicopter pilots, import / export, inventory, logistics, inspectors, materials handlers (some will go away, but not everything can be handled by robots yet), packaging, production, railroad, scheduler / shipping, bus drivers (most will not go away since you have to manage people and kids), traffic, and warehouse managers.

Also, some truck driving jobs are also sales jobs. They may stop driving the trucks, but those people will still be needed for sales.

[Underverse]

If they have mountains of data showing that these cars are actually safer, then this is a good move. Otherwise, let's not rush to judgement on this issue.

[Kretan]

Yeah I mean the specific rules they come up with could, for example, make it so that with the hardware Tesla currently has installed, they couldn't use Autopilot anymore, for example. That's the sort of thing companies do to each other all the time.

I don't get the sense that Ford or Google would want to craft limiting legislation though. If anything, I imagine they'd want to open things up as much as possible so they don't close themselves off to some avenue of advancement in the future.

I have a feeling that's probably the goal here. At least I hope it is because this political restrictive garbage we see all too often is so harmful.

[GennGreymane]

Maybe if we paid drivers less, automation would be slower!